Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Oriole Capital Group invests in AN-74 via Defense Aersopace

Oriole Capital Group, US-based investment fund, has agreed to inject $150 million to launch the production of the Antonov An-74 twin-jet transport aircraft, a variant of the An-72 originally developed in the 1980s.

Just plain wow. Oriole is getting a steal. Everyone is looking at the Japanese and Brazilian offerings for a small jet transport to compete with the C-130 but they're forgetting about this puppy.

What has me a bit impressed and miffed? The USAF had a requirement to replace the C-130 and Boeing came up with the (I think) awesome YC-14. Those engines above the wing? Supposedly they provide OUTSTANDING short field takeoff performance and don't degrade normal flight performance.

We had a winner in the blocks ready to go but had the attention span of a gnat and now the Russians are picking up the ball and running with it.

Too bad.

The C-130 is good but its elderly and has its time in the sun. We should have moved on long ago. Looks the Russians are about to.